1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat insulating container, and particularly to a heat insulating container that is applicable to a reaction device which generates hydrogen from fuel and water.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, in order to mount a fuel cell, which serves as a clean power supply having high energy conversion efficiency, on an automobile, a cellular phone, or the like, development of the fuel cell and relative technologies thereof has been proceeded. The fuel cell is a device that makes fuel and oxygen in the atmosphere go under electrochemical reaction with each other, and then directly extracts electric energy from chemical energy.
With respect to a reforming-type fuel cell that reforms fuel such as alcohols and gasoline, and uses the reformed fuel at the fuel cell, the fuel can be easily stored in a liquid state. Concerning the fuel cell as described above, a reaction device is required to include a vaporizer that vaporizes the liquid fuel and water; a reformer that takes out the hydrogen necessary to generate power, the hydrogen being generated by reacting the vaporized fuel with high-temperature vapor; a carbon monoxide remover that removes carbon monoxide which is a byproduct of the reforming reaction; and the like.
A variety of countermeasures have been taken in order to allow the reaction device operate at a high temperature, and to enhance heat utilization efficiency. For example, as described in Japanese Patent Application Publication (Laid open) No. 2004-35603, a thin-film heater is provided to a body of the reaction device that makes fluids in flow passages go under chemical reaction, a reaction device body is housed in a heat insulating package having a reflection film formed on inner surface thereof, and inside of the heat insulating package is under reduced pressure. Since the inside of the heat insulating package is in the reduced-pressure state, heat of the thin-film heater is less likely to transfer to outside of the reaction device. Accordingly, the heat of the thin-film heater is efficiently used by the reaction device body.
Incidentally, when a gas leak occurs in the heat insulating package and the like, and when temperature of the reaction device body becomes high, temperature of the heat insulating package itself becomes high, and peripheral devices of the reaction device are affected by the heat of the heat insulating package. In such case, operation of the reaction device is sometimes stopped rapidly. However, since a temperature sensor is not provided to the heat insulating package, it is impossible to monitor whether or not the temperature of the heat insulating package is high, by measuring the temperature of the heat insulating package itself.
The present invention has an advantage in that it is possible to monitor the temperature of the heat insulating package including a heat source such as the reaction device body. In order to obtain such advantage, a heat insulating container according to the present invention comprises:
a heat source;
a housing that houses the heat source therein; and
a temperature detection unit that is formed on a surface of the housing and reflects radiation.
In addition, the power generation apparatus according to the present invention comprises:
a reaction device body that generates hydrogen from fuel and water;
a housing that houses the reaction device body therein;
a temperature detection unit that is formed on a surface of the housing and reflects radiation; and
a power generation cell that generates power by using the hydrogen generated by the reaction device body.
Further, an electronic equipment according to the present invention comprises:
a power generation apparatus including:                a reaction device body that generates hydrogen from fuel and water;        a housing that houses the reaction device body therein;        a temperature detection unit that is formed on a surface of the housing and reflects a radiation; and        a power generation cell that generates power by using the hydrogen generated by the reaction device body.        